Confidence and Mental Toughness

Thirty minute training runs 2 & 3? Done and done. I think it may be too soon to declare that I own the 2 mile run, but it is probably sufficient to say that, on a regular basis, I rock the 2 mile run. (Is it safe to make such a bold statement after only running this distance maybe half a dozen times?) And before I leave this subject, can I just point out that, before the running began for me this summer, I had never once run 2 whole miles straight. Even in the sprint tri that I completed a few years ago, I ran/walked...

Training run #2 was yesterday, which I ran with SoxFan and his CRAZY dog Ini. I think I was a little bit sore because run#2 was more difficult than run #1. I had a few little aches and pains along the way, so all in all, it was slow, but alright. I got a later start than I wanted... by oh.... 14-15 hours, I guess.... I think some people just aren't geared to wake up and run before work. I do much better in the evenings anyway.

Training run #3 was tonight, which I ran alone. I ran a little faster tonight, which may have been why I felt like quitting toward the end. But, I did not quit. I had one moment where I had a shocking pain in my left knee (that's the bad knee, for future reference), but I kept on going and the pain seemed to subside. I am tough. Mentally and otherwise.

And you know, the more I think about it, the more I realize that mental toughness really just amounts to dealing with reality. For instance, try to think of actual pain, as opposed to imagined/anticipated pain. I have imagined/anticipated pain about going to the dentist. I tense up in the chair, I freak out, I sometimes run away and cry. But all of those reactions are reactions to things that I am worried will happen, rather than things that actually do happen. Also, if you have an idea of how far you should be able to run, your mind seems to trick you into thinking that after that point, you should start to not be able to continue. This is a really evil little trick that your brain plays on you, because if you can separate out the actual pain versus the imagined pain, you can probably keep pushing yourself a lot farther than you thought.

On that note, I have to give huge huge congrats to my friend CaliTri, who, on Sunday, personified mental toughness by completing her first ever Ironman in Wisconsin. I am so proud of her! Not only did she overcome all the obstacles of completing the Ironman (getting kicked in the head repeatedly during the swim, dealing with the subsequent headache during the bike, and banging out 26.2 long long miles to round it off), she also fought hard personal battles to get to that point, and she did it all with grace and humility. Congratulations, CaliTri! You're an IRONWOMAN!

Step one, complete

Before I began my run this evening, my first ever TNT officially scheduled run (on my own), I was very worried and nervous that I'd fail disastrously and wish I'd never signed up for anything that required any sort of running at all. I hadn't run in 2 whole weeks (eeek, I am so embarrassed), and my last 5K... well, you've heard that story already.... whatever. I was thinking that it was likely that I'd need to stop and walk a bit during my first 30 minute run.

But...

I didn't! I kept a decent pace (for me at least), and though I felt tired at one point and thought I couldn't continue, I kept on going and I made it the full 30 (which came in at slightly more than 2 miles). I'm nearly 1/6th of the way there!

A couple of notes I should make at this point:

1.) It really helps to have a friend running with you. I'm not referring to a "running buddy". I am referring to a true friend who seems to know when you can push a little farther and when you're spent. Mine shall be known as SoxFan, and you will probably be reading a lot about him, as he's one of my very best friends.

2.) Audiobooks are my key to running success. For the life of me, I cannot listen to music while running, because I want to run to the beat of the music, which is, inevitably, either too fast or too slow. Audiobooks, however, are the outdoor equivalent of running on a treadmill in front of a TV. You get so interested in what you're hearing/seeing, that you don't think about the running (how far have I gone, how far do I still have, whats my pace, is that dog rabid, etc.). My first selection is "A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey. Fiction, non-fiction.... whatever. So far I'm entertained.

3.) I need to figure out a way to become "mentally tough"... or at least this is what SoxFan suggests. He's quite right, I think. At some point along this road, I am sure that my willpower and dedication will be tested. I won't want to continue, I will wish I'd never agreed to this running nonsense... but before all that, I think my dilemma is that I'll run into a day where I just don't really feel it. And, having run into those days before, I know that when I start my run with the idea "I don't really want to be running right now"... I have a really terrible run. SO.... mental toughness... Need to pick up some of that.

No running tomorrow, but I have some thoughts on the brew, so hopefully I'll get that all vetted out into something cohesive. Otherwise, I'm back on TUESDAY, when I will have just completed another fabulous 30 minute run.